New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-01

have concentrated their erges upon tho creation
Of noble matter rather than the reorganization Of
| manner WORDSWORTH confidence In his own
genius indeed is not altogether congruous with his
assertion that he never could be popular and that
those who appreciated him must always DO few.
For he held it his mission to ennoble and poetize
the small and lowly things Of earth no less than
the apparent beauties Of nature and 90 what useful
end would this task be performed if it were so done
that the peope-who were chiefly to be elevated
were unable to comprehend the new school of
poetry
Co,cr,dgc IN one of his letters speaks hesitatingly
and more than half alphabetically OF these
same poems of his dear friend Wordsworth,
and tmidly offers o criticism which Will be
recognized as both keen and plausible by some at
least even among the poets admirers The Sage OF
Highgate says: "As proofs meet me in every part
of The Excursion that the poets genius mas not
tagged, have sometimes faDced that PAVING oy
the conjoint operation of his own experiences feel
ings and reason. himself convinced himself oil
truths which the generality of persons have either
taken for granted from their infancy. or at least
adopted in early lite he has attached oil their own
weight and depth to doctrines aud words when
come almost as truisms or commonplace to
Others" Whoever takes the trouble to analyzc
that criticism will discover that when
of Wordsworths poetry it seems TO
fit sineularly well. Why apotheosis OF
the commonplace should be considered worth The
achievement, or as a work appertanng to genius,
are altogether different considerations, and not TO
be determined by Coeridgo. The latter indeed
wrote the most appreciative crit!que OF words
wOrths poems that appeared in that generation.
but the letter to Sir George Beaum mt from when
we have quoted seems to suggest a doubt whether
The Excursion and perhaps spmo of the lyrical
poems did not arouse in his mind a certain tendency
to hesitation which might have gone further but
for the rcactonary effects of Jcfrcy's furious
philippe in The Ednburqh.
The letters of southey practical than
those of his two friends. He was busy man, with
mary literary irons in the fire. aud he was always
alive to whatever promised an in
crease In his income. In the Coleor-
ton letters he appears always alert, intoiii-
gent keeping ght lookout for chances OF proht-
able employment. full of clear common sense ana IN
no way inclined. like: Wordsworth and Cocrldgc.
TO carry his purely imaginative excursions into his
every -dav life and his correspondence.
Wordsworth, indeed. was far from being unprac-
teal He turned his know ledge of sylvan nature TO
excellent account in devisnq and executing the Ia
nous winter garden at Coleorton. and his prcli'nI-
nary description of his plans for this enterprise
furnishes of the most agreeable rear uicS Oh INC
present work. HIS botanical knowlc 'g, was ex-
tensIve and his taste sound. was lie deficient III
administrative power. Colcridge. alone OF the
three, lived habituallv in the clouds aal his abb
stractlon grew upon him. fostcrcd in his atcr years
by his excessive use Of powerful narcotics. OF
other interesting en- lracters there is but little men
ton In the letters We catch n glimpse all too
fectng-of young Wilson. afterward the Christie
pher North of Maya There are few letters from
Sir Walter Scott. but they show scarcely anything
or distinctive De ilncey makes
appearance. bat is gone before we have
more than caught his outlines Dorothy Words
worth wrues caslntly and gracefully. aud OF
Sara COlerldge there are some slender memorials
Then as now and always there were plenty Of hon
est folks who thought Eng a1ds glory vas about
to pass away. aud Southcy was among the Jerc-
miahs of his time In one Of these letters he draws
a gloomy picture of the national prospects. aad
concludes with vividly I'm Iginltve prediction a.
to the results of Catholic Emanc patton. Nothing
less than the discstablIshmclt of the English
Church will follow rash MEASURE lie Is
convinced. and dlsestabiish rcIt TO him signifies
the return OF Chaos and Old Nght IimD must
have known Sir George Beaumont. lie Is men
toned IN the letters COerdge STAYED ~ hIS cham
bcIs sometimes But he did not share IN tins cor
respondcnce, and The fact Is 10 he regretted, FOR
W no would not welcome with delight some unpuh-
lished letters from that sweet 50 ~ IL only re-
mains to said that the publishers have zone
their whole duty In preparing these bean tIfully
printed md tastefuily bound volumes. and that the
editor has furnished good index 10 III" letters.